The streets of Manehatten were busy even at the quietest of times compared to the rest of Equestria. But around the holiday season, they were even more action-packed. Mares and stallions were rapidly trotting back and forth, desperately trying to a store with that last Hearth's Warming gift they so desperately needed. Only to be caught in the crossfire between young fillies and colts having a snowball fight. The roads that usually had taxis being pulled up and down them were barely even populated now that the snow made it too difficult for them to operate on. This caused many ponies to forget the sidewalk and wander into the street. Anypony who didn’t know where they were going would quickly find themselves getting in the way of somepony else in the commotion.
Having lived in Manehatten many years now, Suri Polomare was much acquainted with what life in Manehatten could be like this time of year. She managed to navigate the streets with no issue, even without concentrating. Luckily for her, she wasn’t going to be partaking in the arguments of who saw what of the last item in the store first, or the hustle and bustle of trying to get to another store before it closed. She had already done her Hearth’s Warming shopping…
...Not that she had anypony to shop for anyway. She had not returned to Ponyville for Hearths Warming for a while. She barely kept in contact with her family as it was. The fashion business had been consuming her life. She had been trying to work herself up the ladder for so many years, and in the process of trying to build a portfolio of business connections, she sacrificed many others. Her friends...her family…
...Was it really worth it?
She took a detour and trotted through the park in the hope that it would help clear her head. While the parks around Manehatten were still just as busy, they were at a more relaxed pace than the rush of the city.
Or at least Suri thought until she took a snowball to her side, putting the brakes on her train of thought.
“Sorry!” A young filly called from the group of colts and fillies off on what would normally be a grassy field having a snowball fight.
Suri rolled her eyes and used her hoof to brush the snow off her jacket. A bit of surplus from her new line. She hoped she would have sold it, but seeing as it was surplus, she thought she might as well treat herself. It was Hearth's Warming after all. The outfit incorporated her usual blue scarf but incorporated a maroon wool jacket to complement her coat colour. Stylish, but also kept her warm. It was also backed up with a matching set of boots for her hooves, complete with white fur on the inside for extra insulation. She wasn’t usually one for hoof coverings, but her hooves would otherwise go numb from the cold in this weather without them.
The jingling of bits in her jacket pocket was more than enough to tell her that this Hearth’s Warming had been a good success for her, with plenty of sales from ponies seeking gifts. But that didn’t help her deduce why she was feeling so...off…it wasn’t her first Hearth’s Warming alone, so why did this one feel so different?
She slowed her pace now she was out of firing range of snowballs and started to take in the scene around her. There were plenty of ponies crowding the park with their friends and family. Some of the young couples were getting very...intimate...she couldn’t help but feel like she was out of place being by herself…
She shook her head, trying to break up her thoughts. If anything, she should be happy. The bits were lining her pocket nicely, and it was Hearth’s Warming. Time off from work to relax. Why was she feeling so dissatisfied with it all?
She yawned, and as she did, her body immediately did its own thing automatically. It started trotting in a direction she was oh so familiar with; a cafe. The runup to Hearth’s Warming had left her overworked with not enough sleep. She was a mare in dire need of some caffeine.
Despite not being near her store, Suri knew about this cafe. It was the closest one to the park and was actually positioned so you could just walk into it from the park instead of having to go back into the city. She could see through the glass windows that there was quite a line. Not that it bothered her, she would happily wait. Walking inside, she was immediately greeted by the warmth of the building's heating. No doubt helped by the body warmth of the several ponies inside of it. The scent of freshly ground coffee beans was waking her up already.
She slowly trotted along the wooden floor to join the line for the serving table. There were a few ponies ahead of her, so she used the time to look around the shop to try and pick out a table she could sit at. But she couldn’t see any available for her. Not that it mattered, she didn’t mind getting it to go and finding somewhere else.
As her eyes glanced over the floor once again, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A figure familiar to her. She looked subtly to make sure she wouldn’t be spotted… Coco Pommel. She was sitting at a table by herself, looking down at some notes on a few pieces of paper. Judging by the various bags she had by her side, Suri quickly made the connection that she had been out shopping for Hearth’s Warming gifts.
Seeing her made her cast her mind back to that fateful day. The last time she saw Coco. Her plan to steal Rarity’s fabric design had failed during the Fashion Week competition. And it cost her more than she ever imagined. Not only did she lose the competition, but she also lost Coco Pommel as her assistant. Finding a replacement for her had been...difficult...not to mention the stain on her reputation the whole charade caused. A stain that she had been having trouble shifting.
She glanced away before Coco spotted her staring. For all she knew, Coco might have already seen her. But her presence was definitely unexpected and...perhaps even welcome? The more Suri thought about it, the only pony she had seen regularly up until now was Coco. With Coco gone, she had...nopony.
Suri cringed at the obvious thoughts. There was no beating around the bush, she had treated Coco like a slave when she worked for her. Always running her errands, tying up loose ends, filing her paperwork, cleaning up after her…
...And getting her coffee…
Suri glanced up again just to check her place in the line. She was next after this pony in front of her. Back to her thoughts…
She couldn’t put her hoof on what it was, but something inside her was telling her to approach Coco...or she just couldn’t bring herself to admit it; she was lonely. It was Hearth’s Warming, and she had nothing to do. Nopony to visit, nopony to talk to. Aside from regular customers and business partners, Coco was the only pony she ever talked to on a daily basis…
“What can I get’cha?” The mare at the counter suddenly asked, breaking her thoughts once again.
Suri looked up in surprise. “Uhh…” she quickly glanced over her shoulder back at where Coco was sitting, then back at the mare. She had made her decision. “Two...lattes…” she paused, as she had no idea what Coco usually ordered...usually Coco was buying for her, not vice versa… “With cream...and caramel syrup.”
“To go or table?”
“T-table,” Suri quickly answered, turning her head to look at the table number indicated on a little stand. Lucky Coco wasn’t sitting so far away, allowing Suri to see. “Table eleven.”
“Uh-huh, that’ll be twelve bits,” The mare finished running the order through the till.
Suri paid the cashier from her almost overflowing pockets and collected her receipt. She took a step away to make way for the next pony behind her but stopped for a moment before setting her sights on the empty chair opposite Coco. She was struggling to get her head around how awkward this reunion was going to be, but she had pulled herself through more awkward situations before. She sighed before slowly beginning to trot over.
When she was only a few steps away, Coco clocked that somepony was approaching her and looked up. Suri just smiled awkwardly and stopped next to the chair on the opposite side of the table. “Hey, Coco…” she tried to greet enthusiastically, but it ended up sounding more half-hearted. As if they both knew about the obvious elephant in the room.
“H-hello,” Coco meekly responded. She had always been the shy type.
Suri started undoing her coat. “Can I sit down?” She asked, taking her jacket off and draping it over the back of the chair.
“I-I...suppose,” Coco answered, raising an eyebrow.
Suri nodded and sat down opposite Coco. They both locked eyes awkwardly before Coco looked away. Suri could tell that she had just disturbed the peace in Coco’s mind. “If you’re trying to hire me back, forget it…” Coco spat quietly.
“I’m not going to do that,” Suri answered.
“Then, why are you here?” Coco asked again.
Suri withheld a cringe. Coco had made it clear the hard feelings were still there. And she couldn’t blame her either. “I...dunno…” Suri sighed, resting back in the seat. “I was just walking past, stopped to get coffee, and...I saw you...and I just...wanted to talk…”
Suri didn’t get a response, but she could tell Coco wasn’t very comfortable. Her focus was on her and nothing else. She was probably trying to ask Suri to leave with her face. “So…” Suri’s eyes darted around, trying to look for something to change the subject. Her eyes landed on a white coat over the back of Coco’s chair. “Is that yours?” She pointed with her hoof.
“Hm?” Coco glanced behind her. “Oh, this is just something I made with some leftovers from work.” She pulled one of the sleeves over her shoulder to show it off—a woolly white fabric with some streaks of red around the collar.
“I...I like it,” Suri answered as genuinely as she could, not sure what else to say.
“It’s not for sale,” Coco immediately shut her down, putting it back on the chair and frowning.
“Hey, hey, I’m not trying to pull some funny business here, okay?” Suri waved her hooves in front of her.
“Two caramel lattes with cream,” A unicorn mare read off the order as she stood next to their table.
“That’s us,” Suri quickly answered.
The mare acknowledged with a nod and lowered the porcelain mugs onto the wooden table with her magic before leaving.
Suri looked over at Coco Pommel, who was looking down at her mug with a raised eyebrow. “You...got me this?”
“I hope you like caramel. Just tell me if not, ‘kay?” Suri replied with a smile. A smile that felt way too unnatural for her. She used the coffee mug to cover up the fact that she probably looked awkward smiling like that.
Coco did the same thing, taking a generous sip out of the mug before resting it back down. “Thank you…” she said quietly before reaching into her jacket pocket from the back of her chair. “What do I owe you?”
“Owe me?” Suri chuckled, “It’s on me, okay?”
Coco raised an eyebrow as she slowly pulled her hoof back up from her jacket. She glanced down at the mug then back up at Suri. “I-I...thank you…” she tried to say it as genuinely as she could, but she clearly couldn’t hide the suspicion in her voice.
“Hey, you always got me coffee, ‘bout time I did the same right?” Suri answered, taking another swig. She could tell from the look on Coco’s face that she was still suspicious about something. “So, how's your new job going?”
Suri and Coco conversed for several minutes over the coffee. Coco told her about all the new plays she got to work on ever since she took on the role at Bridleway, and several other opportunities she got through Rarity. She tried to press Suri for more information, as the whole situation of them talking like old friends still seemed very strange to her. But Suri was doing an excellent job of deflecting the questions.
Coco finished off her cup coffee with a sigh. “Well...I better get going,” She stood up and started threading her coat on before picking up the several bags she had around her. “I’ve got some gifts I need to wrap before tomorrow…”
“Of course…” Suri said half-heartedly, thinking about her next move...ever since she moved to Manehatten, she was a firm believer that it was everypony for themselves in the big city. Had she been wrong all this time? Well, it couldn’t hurt to test the theory… “Need a hoof?”
“Huh?” Coco stopped, looking over at Suri.
Suri stood up and started pulling her own coat on. “You’ve got a lot of stuff for one pony to carry. It’ll be easier between the two of us, okay.” Without waiting for an answer, Suri began slinging some of the bags over her back.
“I...guess…” Coco answered, helping distribute the bags between them.
Suri walked alongside Coco through the streets of Manhattan. It didn't take an expert to see that there was still tension between them, and it was showing in their awkward conversations.
She followed Coco all the way back to her apartment. Not a very tall building for Manhattan, but still in a nice neighbourhood. Suri opened the door and lead the way up to her apartment. Luckily she wasn't too high up as it had no elevator…
"Well, here we are…" Coco twisted the key to her door and pushed through into her apartment.
Suri followed her through into the main living room. For an apartment in Manehatten, it was fairly roomy. She imagined it can't have much more space than this, though, given the cramped nature of the room. Coco's furniture was all pretty close together, she could probably leap from desk to sofa to chair to stall.
"Where do you want it?" Suri asked.
"Just leave it by the door," Coco answered, lowering her items down to the floor.
Suri copied her action, leaving the bags next to hers. She sighed in relief as the weight came off her shoulders, then looked around in more detail. "So this is your place…"
"Yep…" Coco glanced around, "It's enough for me…"
“Nice place…” Suri looked around at the furniture again before sighing. “Well, you’ve probably got your hooves full with wrapping these for the big day tomorrow. So I’ll get outta your mane, okay?”
Suri didn’t wait for a response and turned towards the door, taking a step forward.
“Wait!” Coco called.
Suri stopped in her tracks and looked back over her shoulders at Coco.
“Please tell me, Suri…” Coco sounded more concerned than suspicious this time. “What was all this about?”
Suri sighed and turned around to face Coco. “I don’t know…” she lied. Terribly. She turned her head to look away from Coco.
“You’re lonely, aren’t you?” Coco skipped ahead and just directly asked the question.
Suri groaned and sighed at the same time, twisting her head to the side as if she was trying to formulate an answer. “Not lonely, but…” she shrugged, “I rarely talk to the same ponies on a daily basis anymore. And those I do talk to regularly like to keep it professional. Ever since you quit at the end of Fashion Week...I’ve had nopony to talk to…”
She sighed again and looked Coco in the eye. “When I first came here, I was so certain that it was everypony for themselves in the big city. So I decided to play the part and become manipulative, using underhoof tactics to grow my business. I’m not trying to lure you back or anything sneaky like that, I was just wondering if we could...start over?”
Suri saw the surprised look on Coco’s face. She was equally surprised that she was admitting something like this. The room was silent for a few moments before Suri looked away again. “I understand you might not forgive me right away. I treated you like dirt for how long?” She groaned and rubbed her forehead, turning for the door once again. “Y’know what, I’m probably ruining your Hearth’s Warming with all my mopey sadness, so I’ll just go--”
“I forgive you.”
Suri looked up at Coco. “Y-you do?”
Coco nodded. “Remember that time you told me it can take a while for a young filly to learn it’s everypony for themselves in the big city? Well, sounds like it took you just as long to learn how wrong you were,” she replied with a wink.
Suri’s mouth opened to reply...but she had nothing. Although there was one thing she could do; laugh. The irony of the situation was enough to send her giggling.
Coco started to join her but found herself more focused on another aspect. She never thought she would be here, right now, in this kind of a situation, laughing alongside Suri. Back when she worked for her, it would typically be followed up with something along the lines of ‘Now get back to work!’ But this...this felt genuine...she liked it. Maybe Suri was her friend all along. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that if she had never met Suri, she might never have encountered Rarity and been as successful as she currently is. Fate sure had been kind to her...to both of them…
“Oh!” Coco bought her hoof to her lips when she blurted that out.
“What is it?” Suri asked.
“Are you going anywhere for Hearth’s Warming Day?” Coco asked.
“No, but--”
“Wait right there!” Coco threw her jacket off over the sofa and dashed off into the room next door. “I’ll only be a couple minutes!”
Suri raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it. She just took a seat on Coco’s sofa and waited patiently, continuing to examine the furniture and everything else she had in her living room. She heard a little bit of commotion coming from the room next door, but she chose to remain ignorant. She didn’t want to ruin whatever Coco was planning to surprise her with.
Coco reappeared a couple of minutes later, holding a smallish sized box wrapped in red and green wrapping paper with a cute little pink ribbon wrapped around it. She took a few steps into the living room and held it out to Suri.
Suri practically jumped to her hooves at the gesture. “M-me?!” She gasped, her jaw hung ajar.
“It is the season of giving, after all,” Coco answered with a smile.
“C-Coco...I don’t know what to say…” Suri held her hoof on her chest. “But...I don’t have anything to give you…”
“You already have,” Coco replied. “For the first time since we’ve known each other, you were the one buying me coffee. Then you helped me back with my bags. Then you admitted you were wrong and apologised. You’ve clearly gone well out of your way to make amends with me, and if Rarity and her friends have taught me anything, it’s that everypony deserves a second chance. So...happy Hearth’s Warming!”
“Oh Coco, thank you so much…” Suri reached in to take the present.
“Ah!” Coco snatched it away from her just before she could reach. “You’ve gotta wait until Hearth’s Warming Day to open your presents…” Coco teased with a wink while placing it atop a small pile of gifts that she had already wrapped earlier.
“Hearth’s Warming Day?” Suri raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to be with your family?”
“I am,” Coco nodded, “And you’re invited.”
“Invited?!” Suri exclaimed. “I...will your family be alright with me just rocking up?”
“Of course they will,” Coco replied with a smile. “But you’ll have to play dress-up with my niece,” she added, winking.
“Pfft,” Suri chuckled, “Sounds fun…”
“Great!” Coco replied, “Meet me back here tomorrow at midday, and we’ll go together.
“Got it,” Suri answered, glancing back at the presents Coco still had to wrap. “I’ll leave you to your wrapping...unless you need a hoof?”
“I should be fine,” Coco replied.
“Alright then,” Suri turned to the door. “I’ll...see you tomorrow I guess…” Suri opened the front door to the apartment and stepped out into the hallway.
“See you tomorrow,” Coco answered, standing by the door to see Suri out.
“Oh and Coco?”
“Yes?”
Suri smiled and leant into Coco, embracing her around her shoulders. “Thank you...for all of this…”
Coco smiled warmly, “What are friends for?” She replied, returning the embrace.
Suri felt her heart flutter at that word; friends. It had been a long time since she had one of those. Suri pulled away and waved goodbye to Coco, beginning to trot back down and out of the apartment block. She had no words to describe what she just felt...but for the first Hearth’s Warming Eve in a long time, she felt...happy. She felt like she belonged. Somepony accepted her. She opened up her heart to somepony, and they returned the gesture…
...Maybe friendship really was magic after all…